Look, let’s be real. Skate 3 might be over a decade old, but it’s still the undisputed king of physics-based chaos. There is something fundamentally hilarious about watching your skater go completely stiff, tucking their arms in, and sliding down a massive concrete spillway like a mahogany plank. It’s the move that defines the series' weird sense of humor. Learning how to do a coffin on Skate 3 isn't just about style points; it’s about surviving those "Hall of Meat" challenges or just looking like a total weirdo while gapping over a staircase in Port Carverton.
Most people think it’s some complex secret combo. It isn’t. But it does require a bit of finger gymnastics that can feel clunky if you’re used to the fluid flick-it system of the more standard tricks.
The Buttons You Actually Need to Hit
To pull off a coffin, you have to hold four buttons simultaneously while you’re on the board. On an Xbox controller, you’re looking at LT + RT + X + A. If you’re playing on PlayStation (or via RPCS3 emulation), it’s L2 + R2 + Square + Cross.
Basically, you’re pulling both triggers and hitting both face buttons at the same time.
Your skater will immediately drop down onto their back. They stay there as long as you hold those buttons. The moment you let go, they’ll pop back up onto their feet—assuming you haven't already slammed into a curb at 40 miles per hour. Timing is everything. If you try to do it mid-air, you’ll likely just bail unless you’ve got serious hang time. It’s a ground-based move first and foremost.
The physics in Skate 3 are notoriously "sticky" when it comes to the coffin. If you hit a slight bump while in the coffin position, the game might register it as a wipeout. It’s less forgiving than a standard manual. You have to find the smoothest lines possible. Think of the Mega Park. That’s the laboratory for this move.
Why Is My Skater Bailing?
You’ve probably tried it and immediately eaten pavement. It happens. Usually, it's because of your entry speed or the angle of the terrain. If you engage the coffin while your board is slightly crooked, the friction of your skater’s back hitting the ground will spin you out.
Gravity is your enemy and your friend here.
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Most players make the mistake of trying to steer while in the coffin. You can’t really "carve" like you normally do. You have to use your weight to shift the board slightly. If you lean too hard into a turn while lying down, the board will just slide out from under you. It’s a delicate balance.
Wait. Did you check your stance? Goofy vs. Regular doesn't technically change the inputs for how to do a coffin on Skate 3, but it does change your visual perspective when you’re lining up for those narrow gaps. Some people find it easier to line up a coffin-slide through a hole in a fence if they approach it in their "natural" stance.
Advanced Coffin Tech: Under the Rail and Beyond
Once you’ve mastered the basic lie-down, the real fun starts. You haven't lived until you’ve threaded the needle under a low-clearance object.
There are specific spots in the game—like the construction zones or certain areas in the University district—where the gaps are too low to crouch through. This is where the coffin becomes a tactical maneuver. You can actually slide under parked cars if you have enough momentum.
- Gain a massive amount of speed. Use the "push, push, push" method or find a steep hill.
- Line yourself up perfectly straight.
- Trigger the coffin about two feet before the obstacle.
- Pray to the EA Black Box gods that the physics engine doesn't freak out.
If you hit a car's bumper, you're going to see a lot of red on the screen. The Hall of Meat points for a failed coffin are actually pretty decent because the game calculates the "folded" state of your character's skeleton as extra impact damage.
Flipping Into a Coffin
This is where you start looking like a pro. You can actually flip into a coffin. Kickflip, then immediately grab the triggers and face buttons while you're in the air. If you time it right, you’ll land already lying down. It looks incredibly smooth and is a staple in many "realistic" or "hardcore" edit videos found on YouTube.
The community at places like Skate3.net (back in the day) or the current Reddit communities often debate whether this is "cheating" the physics, but honestly, it’s just part of the charm.
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The Hall of Meat Connection
Let’s talk about the Hall of Meat. The coffin is a primary tool for racking up broken bones. If you jump from a high altitude—like the top of the "Super-Ultra-Mega-Park"—and enter a coffin, you gain speed faster because of the reduced air resistance (or at least, that’s how the game’s simplified physics seem to treat it).
When you hit the ground in a coffin, you aren't just falling; you're a projectile.
Most "Body Flip" challenges are easier if you start with a coffin and then let go of the buttons to trigger a "cannonball" or "spread eagle" pose. It gives you a specific rotational axis that is harder to get from a standard jump.
Technical Limitations and Glitches
Skate 3 is famously buggy. Sometimes, when you do a coffin on a very specific type of geometry—like the edge of a pool or a jagged rock—the board will clip through the environment. This can launch you into the "Great Void" or just cause your skater to vibrate violently until they explode into a flurry of points.
Is it intentional? No. Is it hilarious? Absolutely.
A lot of the "speed glitches" that the speedrunning community uses involve manipulating the character's state. While the coffin isn't the primary speed glitch (that would be the "OG" or "Forward Man" glitches), it is often used as a stabilizer. If you're going too fast for the game to handle, dropping into a coffin can sometimes—ironically—prevent the game from crashing your skater immediately because it locks your animations.
Common Misconceptions
People often think you need to be in "Hardcore" mode to make the coffin look better. Honestly, the difficulty mode doesn't change the coffin animation itself, but it does change how you interact with the ground. On Hardcore, if you aren't perfectly flat when you enter the coffin, you will bail instantly. On Easy, you can practically bounce off the ground and stay in the pose.
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Another weird myth is that certain boards or trucks make the coffin faster. They don't. Your gear is purely cosmetic in Skate 3. Whether you're riding a longboard or a tiny deck with no grip tape, the coffin mechanics remain identical.
Taking it to the Streets
If you want to practice, head over to the Observatory. The long, winding roads provide the perfect incline to maintain a coffin for a long duration. It’s also a great spot to practice the "revert" out of a coffin.
Wait, you can revert? Sort of. If you let go of the coffin buttons and immediately flick the right stick, you can sometimes transition into a powerslide or a manual. It’s a high-level move that takes a lot of practice to get the timing right without just bailing.
Finding the Best Lines
The industrial area has some great drainage pipes. These are basically half-pipes made of concrete. Dropping into a coffin at the top of a pipe and letting the transition carry you up the other side is one of the most satisfying things you can do. It’s pure momentum.
Master the Coffin Now
To wrap this up, the coffin isn't just a gimmick. It’s a tool for navigation, a way to score big in Hall of Meat, and a rite of passage for any Skate 3 player.
- Check your controls: LT+RT+X+A (Xbox) or L2+R2+Square+Cross (PlayStation).
- Check your speed: You need enough to slide, but not so much that you lose control.
- Check your path: Any pebble or curb will end your run.
Go to the Mega Park, find the highest roll-in, and try to flip into a coffin. It might take you ten tries. It might take fifty. But once you nail that landing and slide across the concrete like a human sled, you'll understand why this game still has a massive player base even decades later.
Next time you're in a "Spot Battle" or playing a game of "S.K.A.T.E." online, throw a coffin into your line. It might not give you the most points, but it’ll definitely give you the most respect from the old-school players who know exactly how finicky those triggers can be.
Start by practicing on the flat ground of the Training Facility. Get the finger placement down until it's muscle memory. Then, take it to the steep hills of the University district. Once you can hold a coffin for more than ten seconds without bailing, try the "Under the Semi-Truck" challenge in the industrial zone. That is the true test of a coffin master.